Parent:: EbioniteChristianity
Early Church "Fathers" on the Primacy of a Hebrew Dialect Matthew
www.atour.com/forums/peshitta/573.html#3 From: James Trimm, New Messianic Version, translated from the Hebrew and Aramaic HRV www.nazarene.net/hrv
All of the "Church Fathers", both East and West, testified to the Semitic origin of at least the Book of Matthew, as the following quotes demonstrate:
Papias (150-170 AD) Matthew composed the words in the Hebrew dialect, and each translated as he was able. (quoted by Eusebius Eccl. Hist. 3:39)
Ireneus (170 AD) Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect. (Irenaeus; Against Heresies 3:1)
Origen (c. 210 AD) The first is written according to Matthew, the same that was once a tax collector, but afterwards an emissary of Yeshua the Messiah, who having published it for the Jewish believers, wrote it in Hebrew. (quoted by Eusebius; Eccl. Hist. 6:25)
Eusebius (c. 315 AD) Matthew also, having first proclaimed the Gospel in Hebrew, when on the point of going also to the other nations, committed it to writing in his native tongue, and thus supplied the want of his presence to them by his writings. (Eusebius; Eccl. Hist. 3:24)
Pantaenus... (d. 200 AD, teacher of Clement of Alexandria) penetrated as far as India, where it is reported that he found the Gospel according to Matthew, which had been delivered before his arrival to some who had the knowledge of Messiah, to whom Bartholomew, one of the emissaries, as it is said, had proclaimed, and left them the writing of Matthew in Hebrew letters. (Eusebius; Eccl. Hist. 5:10)
Epiphanius (370 AD) They have the Gospel according to Matthew quite complete in Hebrew, for this Gospel is certainly still preserved among them as it was first written, in Hebrew letters. (Epiphanius; Panarion 29:9:4)
Jerome (382 AD) "Matthew, who is also Levi, and from a tax collector came to be an emissary first of all evangelists composed a Gospel of Messiah in Judea in the Hebrew language and letters, for the benefit of those of the circumcision who had believed, who translated it into Greek is not sufficiently ascertained. Furthermore, the Hebrew itself is preserved to this day in the library at Caesarea, which the martyr Pamphilus so diligently collected. I also was allowed by the Nazarenes who use this volume in the Syrian city of Borea to copy it. In which is to be remarked that, wherever the evangelist... makes use of the testimonies of the Old Scripture, he does not follow the authority of the seventy translators , but that of the Hebrew." (Lives of Illustrious Men 3)
"Pantaenus found that Bartholomew, one of the twelve emissaries, had there preached the advent of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah according to the Gospel of Matthew, which was written in Hebrew letters, and which, on returning to Alexandria, he brought with him." (De Vir. 3:36)
Isho'dad (850 AD) His book was in existence in Caesarea of Palestine, and everyone acknowledges that he wrote it with his hands in Hebrew... (Isho'dad Commentary on the Gospels)
Other "church fathers"
Other "church fathers" have testified to the Semitic origin of at least one of Paul's epistles. These "church fathers" claim that Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews was translated into Greek from a Hebrew original, as the following quotes demonstrate:
Clement of Alexandria (150 - 212 AD) In the work called Hypotyposes, to sum up the matter briefly he has given us abridged accounts of all the canonical Scriptures,... the Epistle to the Hebrews he asserts was written by Paul, to the Hebrews, in the Hebrew tongue; but that it was carefully translated by Luke, and published among the Greeks. (Clement of Alexandria; Hypotyposes; referred to by Eusebius in Eccl. Hist. 6:14:2)
Eusebius (315 AD) For as Paul had addressed the Hebrews in the language of his country; some say that the evangelist Luke, others that Clement, translated the epistle. (Eusebius; Eccl. Hist. 3:38:2-3)
Jerome (382) "He (Paul) being a Hebrew wrote in Hebrew, that is, his own tongue and most fluently while things which were eloquently written in Hebrew were more eloquently turned into Greek (Lives of Illustrious Men, Book 5)
It should be noted that these church fathers did not always agree that the other books of the New Testament were written in Hebrew. Epiphanius for example, believed "that only Matthew put the setting forth of the preaching of the Gospel into the New Testament in the Hebrew language and letters." (Epiphanius; Pan. 30:3)
Epiphanius does, however, tell us that the Jewish believers would disagree with him, and point out the existence of Hebrew copies of John and Acts in a "Gaza" or "treasury" in Tiberius. (Epipnanius; Pan. 30:3, 6) Epiphanius believed these versions to be mere "translations" (Epiphanius; Pan. 30:3, 6, 12) but admitted that the Jewish believers would disagree with him. (Epiphanius; Pan. 30:3) The truth in this matter is clear, if Greek had replaced Hebrew as the language of Jews as early as the first century, then why would fourth century Jews have any need for Hebrew translations. The very existence of Hebrew manuscripts of these books in fourth century Palestine testifies to their originality, not to mention the fact that the Jewish believers regarded them as authentic.
Jerome around 400 AD says:
In **the Gospel of the Hebrews**, written in the Chaldee and
**Syriac** language **but in Hebrew script**, and used by the
Nazarenes to this day (I mean the Gospel of the Apostles, or, as
it is generally maintained, **the Gospel of Matthew**, a copy of
which is in the library at Caesarea), ... (Jerome, Against Pelagius 3.2)
[original-gospel-of-matthew-knol.html](.../Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-knol.html)
Peshitta.org Forum
The Texas RAT 10-24-2012, 06:29 AM http://www.peshitta.org/for/showthread.php?tid=2927&page=3 TESTIMONY OF THE CHURCH FATHERS
Many of the "Church Fathers", both East and West, from the 2nd century to the 8th Century testified to the Semitic origin of the Book of Matthew, as the following quotes demonstrate:
Papias (150-170 AD) Matthew composed the words in the Hebrew dialect, and each translated as he was able. (quoted by Eusebius Eccl. History 3:39)
Ireneus (170 AD) Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect.#2 (Ireneus; Against Heresies 3:1)
Origen (c. 210 AD) The first [Gospel] is written according to Matthew, the same who was once a tax collector, but afterwards an emissary of Yeshua the Messiah; who having published it for the Yehudish believers, wrote it in Hebrew. (quoted by Eusebius; Eccl. History 6:25)
Matthew also, having first proclaimed the Gospel in Hebrew, when on the point of going also to the other nations, committed it to writing in his native tongue, and thus supplied the want of his presence to them by his writings. (Eusebius; Eccl. History 3:24)
Pantaenus... penetrated as far as India, where it is reported that he found the Gospel according to Matthew, which had been delivered before his arrival to some who had the knowledge of Messiah, to whom Bartholomew, one of the emissaries, as it is Said, had proclaimed, and left them the writing of Matthew in Hebrew letters. ( Eusebius; Eccl. History 5:10)
Epiphanius (370 AD) They [the Nazarenes], have the Gospel according to Matthew, quite complete in Hebrew: for this Gospel is certainly still preserved among them as it was first written ? in Hebrew letters. ( Epiphanius; Panarion 29:9:4)
Jerome (382 AD) "Matthew, who is also Laywee, and from a tax collector came to be an emissary; first of all evangelists, composed a Gospel of Messiah in Yehudea, in the Hebrew language and letters, for the benefit of those of the circumcision who had believed, who translated it into Greek, is not sufficiently ascertained. Furthermore, the Hebrew itself is preserved to this day in the library at Caesarea, which the martyr Pamphilus, so diligently collected. I also, was allowed by the Nazarenes who use this volume in the Syrian city of Borea, to copy it. In which is to be remarked that, wherever the evangelist makes use of the testimonies of the Old Scripture, he does not ? follow the authority of the seventy translators [the Greek Septuagint], but that of the Hebrew." ( Jerome; Of Illustrious Men 3)
"Pantaenus found that Bartholomew, one of the twelve emissaries, had there [India] preached the advent of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah according to the Gospel of Matthew, which was written in Hebrew letters, and which, on returning to Alexandria, he brought with him." (Church History by Eusebius. Book V Chapter 10. Pantaenus the Philosopher.)
Isho'dad (850 AD) His [Matthew's] book, was in existence in Caesarea of Palestine, and everyone acknowledges that he wrote it with his hands, in Hebrew... (Jerome; De Vir. 3:36) (Isho'dad Commentary on the Gospels)
Other "church fathers" have testified to the Semitic origin of at least one of Shaul's/Paul's[Paul's] epistles. These "church fathers" claim, that Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews was translated into Greek from a Hebrew original, as the following quotes demonstrate:
Clement of Alexandria (150 - 212 AD) In the work called Hypotyposes, to sum up the matter briefly, he [Clement of Alexandria], has given us abridged accounts of all the canonical Scriptures. The Epistle to the Hebrews, he asserts, was written by Paul, to the Hebrews, in the Hebrew tongue, but that it was carefully translated by Luke, and published among the Greeks. (Clement of Alexandria; Hypotyposes; referred to by Eusebius in Eccl. History 6:14:2)
Eusebius (315 AD) For as Paul had addressed the Hebrews in the language of his Country, some say that the evangelist Luke; others that Clement, translated the epistle. (Eusebius; Eccl. History 3:38:2-3)
Jerome (382) "He (Paul), being a Hebrew, wrote in Hebrew: that is, his own tongue, and most fluently, while things which were eloquently written in Hebrew, were more eloquently turned into Greek. (Lives of Illustrious Men, Book V)
It should be noted that these church fathers, did not always agree that the other books of the New Testament were written in Hebrew. Epiphanius for example, believed "that only Matthew?, put the setting forth of the preaching of the Gospel into the New Testament, in the Hebrew language and letters." (Epiphanius, Pan. 30:3)
Epiphanius does however, tell us, that the Yehudish believers would disagree with him, and point out the existence of Hebrew copies of Yo-Khawnawn and Acts in a "Gaza" or "treasury" [Genizah?] in Tiberius. ( Epipnanius, Pan. 30:3, 6) Epiphanius believed these versions to be mere "translations," (Epiphanius, Pan. 30:3, 6, 12) but admitted that the Yehudish believers disagreed with him. (Epiphanius, Pan. 30:3) The truth in this matter is clear: If Greek had replaced Hebrew as the language of Yehudeem as early as the 1st Century, then why would fourth century Yehudeem have any need for Hebrew translations. The very existence of Hebrew manuscripts of these books in 4th Century, testifies to their originality, not to mention the fact that the Yehudish believers regarded them as authentic. Also not only does the Church of the East testify that they received the Gospels directly from the Apostles in a Semitic, not Greek, language but the Targums [Commentaries] of the Hebrew Scriptures are all written in Aramaic! So if the Hebrew people had been so familiar with Greek why would they need Commentaries of the Scriptures in Aramaic? Would they not known Aramaic? And if Aramaic had also fallen to the wayside why are there still people to this day still using it handed down to them from antiquities?
- Eusebius; Eccl. History archive.org/download/eusebiusecclesia0000euse/eusebiusecclesia0000euse.pdf
Some References on the Web
From Jerome and the Hebrew Matthew - (not canonical Matthew) by Steven Avery:
The Scholarly Speculation of Jerome Concerning Matthew's Original Hebrew Gospel
Ron Jones and the Titus Institute
http://hebrewgospel.com/Jeromes Scholarly Speculation.php
For this one the scholarship is fine, but very limited
The Hebrew gospel of Matthew.
Ben Smith
[http://www.textexcavation.com/hebrewmatthew.html](http://www.textexcavation.com/hebrewmatthew.html)
This next one is uneven, I will try to look it over.
HEBREW MATTHEW - Shem Tob - du Tillet - Munster
Are we to believe and trust these references by Origen and his student Eusebius?
Malachi
[http://oneinmessiah.net/HEBREWMATTHEW.htm](http://oneinmessiah.net/HEBREWMATTHEW.htm)
Introduction to the New Testament
Johann Michaelis
[http://books.google.com/books?id=sLAXAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA146](http://books.google.com/books?id=sLAXAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA146)
p. 145-194 and more, even DuTillet and Muenster on p. 185
Nazarene Jewish Christianity by Ray Pritz has a lot of fine material, but he does not seem to have a clear section just on this topic.
Nazarene Jewish Christianity: From the End of the New Testament Period Until Its Disappearance in the Fourth Century (1988)
Ray Pritz
[books.google.com/books?id=vh84AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA93](https://books.google.com/books?id=vh84AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA93)
The page there that is of the most interest we have captured as HebrewMatthewShemTob and clearly show the Pharisitical changes to the middle-aged Hebrew Matthew by Shem Tob - du Tillet - Munster.
Links
- Hebrew Dialect of Aramaic
- Jerome and the Hebrew Matthew - (not canonical Matthew)
- original-gospel-of-matthew-knol.html
- gnosis.study/library/%D0%9A%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0/ENG/Epiphanius%20of%20Salamis%20-%20The%20Panarion,%20Book%20I%20(Sects%201-46).pdf
- www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/gospelebionites.html
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